Village commissions are understandably frustrated by a recent review of provincial-municipal relations. They've been labelled redundant. Their future's under threat. At a Village of Kingston meeting held November 27 I witnessed a well-attended “save our village” rally. This week the Village of New Minas hosted a public meeting. Less well attended and less filled with fury, this meeting allowed a more open and balanced discussion to occur, and pointed to many unanswered questions that will need to be addressed.
Two of the review's recommendations are in the eye of this storm. One phases out villages. The other limits their power. Both are presented among forty or so others. Collectively the recommendations seek improvements in government structures, the services they provide and the overall economy. It's big picture thinking. The aim is more efficient use of our tax dollars. The goal is to streamline relationships between the province, its departments, municipal councils and the communities elected representatives serve.
The Kingston meeting clearly engendered an “us versus them” stance. The overview focused exclusively on the two village recommendations. Blame was laid by presenters at the feet of the towns, and particularly at those of Kentville's Mayor Corkum who was just ending his 1-year term as President of the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities (UNSM) when the report was released.
It was implied that the whole fiscal review happened behind the scenes without the knowledge or involvement of Wardens, Mayors, councillors or municipal staff. Was this so? I think not. It could only be seen as a sneak attack if attention wasn't being paid. For example, terms of reference for the study were published prior to the last municipal election in 2012. Since then, the work has moved steadily forward with updates at several Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities (UNSM) gatherings along the way.
It was nevertheless surprising to see such brash recommendations about villages. The reasons have been linked to dissolution underway at the Towns of Hantsport, Bridgetown and Springhill. A number of other towns are expected to follow suit soon. If the long-term goal is less government, it's thought towns should not have the option of morphing into villages. The majority of counties at a recent rural caucus teleconference were in agreement on this point.
Secondly, the question of whether counties can operate services more efficiently by amalgamating county and village services is being asked. The draft report weighs in with “yes” to this question of saving tax dollars. The villages answer that same question with a “no”. That question and how current services might be better managed needs to be satisfactorily resolved before villages any drastic step regarding current villages is taken.
Now is the time to find the right answers to pressing and interlocking questions. We have a shrinking economy as well as a declining and aging population. Worrisome change is upon us and it's demanding the smartest responses possible.
Even if blaming towns for the two recommendations on villages were warranted, time could be better used on a long overdue discussion between the county, towns and villages. The towns need our support and understanding in their struggle to resolve some costly road-related burdens downloaded to them by the province. We can use the review's findings to create an accurate understanding and assessment of our taxpayers' needs. A congenial, more productive way forward is crucial. Creating discord between the villages and the towns should not be the goal of any councillor or village commissioner. Town, village or county residents shouldn't settle for political shenanigans when it's solutions not rifts that are desperately needed.
Stances seeking to protect the "status quo" have a long history in Nova Scotia. The Now or Never report says that's why we continue to face hard times. We let old alliances lead us astray and in so doing we send more young families packing.
Kings County Council has now submitted its responses on the fiscal review. With unanimous support we've opposed the two recommendations against the demise of villages. This gives us time to do the analysis required to make the evidence-based decisions required to govern effectively and meet the challenges ahead. With a population of less than 60,000 people we have over 60 elected representatives at local levels. We have overlapping jurisdictions, multiple memorandums of understanding, protocols, inter-municipal contracts, and boundaries that are not meaningful to most. We need simpler, more streamlined governance to replace the hornet's nest of stifling bureaucracy patched together over several decades.
A decade ago New Brunswick eliminated county governments while keeping its villages and towns. Can we open our minds to a full slate of options now this report has grabbed our attention? A productive way forward could be placed within our grasp if we direct the energy generated by this fiscal review towards completion of an independent study of governance. The province promised financial help to move a review forward over a year ago.
We now have the results of the fiscal review. While imperfections in the review have been noted, it and the Now or Never report underscore daunting and immediate fiscal challenges for all levels of government in Nova Scotia.
We must face those by getting our governance house in order. Waiting, or endless debating of when or how to start a review of governance, ignores the need for change that the NOW OR NEVER commissioners note should have started many years ago.
We now have the results of the fiscal review. While imperfections in the review have been noted, it and the Now or Never report underscore daunting and immediate fiscal challenges for all levels of government in Nova Scotia.
We must face those by getting our governance house in order. Waiting, or endless debating of when or how to start a review of governance, ignores the need for change that the NOW OR NEVER commissioners note should have started many years ago.
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